1
: any of a breed of intelligent dogs that have a curly dense solid-colored coat and that are grouped into standard, miniature, and toy sizes which are often considered separate breeds compare toy poodle
2
: a fabric with a nubby or coarsely looped surface that resembles a poodle's coat
called also poodle cloth
Examples of poodle in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
But losing in legal courts is different from losing in the court of public opinion, where sane people are left trying to explain that noncitizen Haitians aren’t illegally voting while nibbling poodle kebabs and assaulting the neighbors.
—
Anita Chabria, Los Angeles Times, 5 Nov. 2024
One dog, a poodle named Peppa, was part of a political pasta bowl costume poking fun at former president Donald Trump's false claim that immigrants in an Ohio community are eating pets.
—Claire Thornton, USA TODAY, 20 Oct. 2024
But later, Zoe had a fight with her 15-year-old sister and left for the store in her mother’s 2020 Nissan Rogue with the family shih-tzu/poodle mix named Bear.
—Landon Mion, Fox News, 12 Oct. 2024
Jade lives in Lahti, Finland, with her husband and their mini poodle.
—Jade Ventoniemi, Contributor, CNBC, 27 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for poodle 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Anita Chabria, Los Angeles Times, 5 Nov. 2024
One dog, a poodle named Peppa, was part of a political pasta bowl costume poking fun at former president Donald Trump's false claim that immigrants in an Ohio community are eating pets.
—Claire Thornton, USA TODAY, 20 Oct. 2024
But later, Zoe had a fight with her 15-year-old sister and left for the store in her mother’s 2020 Nissan Rogue with the family shih-tzu/poodle mix named Bear.
—Landon Mion, Fox News, 12 Oct. 2024
Jade lives in Lahti, Finland, with her husband and their mini poodle.
—Jade Ventoniemi, Contributor, CNBC, 27 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for poodle
Articles Related to poodle
Dictionary Entries Near poodle
Cite this Entry
“Poodle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/poodle. Accessed 26 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
poodle
noun
poo·dle
ˈpüd-ᵊl 
: any of a breed of active intelligent dogs that have thick curly coats of solid color and that occur in three sizes
Etymology
from German Pudel, a shortened form of Pudelhund "poodle," from pudeln "to splash" and Hund "dog"
Word Origin
Poodles often have their coats cut in different patterns. Both their haircuts and their name go back to a time when poodles were kept not as house pets but as retrievers. Poodles were especially good at retrieving game in the water. The dogs were good swimmers, and they had heavy coats that kept them warm even in icy water. Hunters cut their dogs' hair shorter in a pattern that would make swimming easier. Cutting poodles' hair in a pattern soon became a tradition. The German name for this skillful swimmer was Pudelhund. This word combined pudeln, meaning "to splash," and hund, meaning "dog." It was then shortened to Pudel, which English borrowed as poodle.
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share